It was to be expected
by Dom1sek
Summary: THEY were never meant to meet. But THEY did. And it changed everything... Do you want to know, what would happen if Tom M. Riddle and Hermione J. Granger were born at the same time, long before everything in the original Harry Potter series happened? Lord Voldemort may never came to be. The Boy-who-lived may never be needed. There was a way to save his soul. And she was the key.
1. Prologue

**They were never meant to meet.**

 **But they did...**

 **And it changed everything.**

 **_**

 **Prologue**

 **_**

 _Every once in a while, someone wondered what the world would look like if THEY never met each other in their youth._

 _There were those, who though it would be better that way. According to these individuals the world was perfect the way it was before THEY came along._

 _Before THEY decided that it should be different. Before THEY became powerful enough to change... Well... Everything._

 _These people were unhappy about the changes, because they lost, what they consider theirs._

 _Power, influence, might._

 _THEY dethroned them. And were hated for it._

 _It was to be expected really..._

 _On the other hand, there were also those, who could not even think of the possibility, that THEY would not meet._

 _THEY were meant for each other. THEY were everything the world needed and everything the past generations despised._

 _Separately, each of them was formidable, powerful and important. And they had the potential to change the world on their own. To their own image._

 _But together... Oh together THEY were unstoppable, necessary and glorious. Together they could not only change the world, they were able to remake it into a paradise on Earth._

 _THEY held the power. THEY were considered to be ruling over entire wizarding world. And they were loved._

 _Magical King and Queen._

 _After all, it was to be expected really._


	2. The Lucky Charm

**He was made to be feared.**

 **She was to become his salvation.**

 **And together THEY made their own story.**

 **Chapter one**

It was the last morning of 1937. And Tom Marvolo Riddle was celebrating his 11th birthday by escaping from the wretched orphanage he lived in. If only for a few hours. Few _precious_ hours.

It was unnaturally cold winter for England, it was even snowing in London. The usual raindrops froze high in the sky and pure white snowflakes were covering the earth instead.

The boy's old clothes didn't do much to make him warm. He was covered from head to toe, but he felt unprotected against the elements. He was cold... So very cold. Maybe it was because of his ever present hunger.

Usually, orphanages were not given enough funds to prepare warm and filling meals that could be served every day.

During winter it was even worse. There was never enough food to feed all orphans. And it showed... Tom was tall for his age, but unhealthily skinny. One could count every rib under his woolen sweater.

And even though he was still a child, there wasn't much of the baby fat in his features. Because of that he looked older, more exhausted.

But even the coldness couldn't stop him from escaping that cursed place he was forced to call home. He imagined true home would feel different... But how could he know really. He lived in Wool's Orphanage his entire life.

Tom was quite sure noone would miss him. They would not notice that he disappeared for a day. Sometimes he wished to run away and never return, but he knew he couldn't survive on his own. Not yet at least. He would starve and die, or somebody could hurt him. Some already tried. He protected himself well enough back then, but next time he may not be so lucky.

Deep in thoughts Tom Riddle wasn't paying much of an attention to where he was going. He didn't need to. He knew London streets well enough not to get lost.

There was a sound of some shop entrance ringing as the shop's door were being opened and a small family of three came out.

A man and woman followed by small bushy haired girl that could be Tom's age. The parents were laughing, carrying some sweet looking cinnamon rolls. They were oblivious to the way their daughter stopped in her tracks, when she noticed Tom only few steps away from her.

The girl frowned at Tom.

"What are you wearing in this weather?! Do you want to catch a cold or worse?" She asked sternly.

Tom could only gape at her and stay silent. People usually did not give a damn about him.

"Did you hear me? I asked you a question!" The girl stated bossily. But did not wait for him to reply, she marched up to him, took off here dark green gloves and took his hands in between hers. She cursed under her breath when she felt how truly cold he was.

Normally, Tom would let _noone_ touch him. But this girl was something else entirely and for once, he had no idea, how to react.

"Oh God! You _are_ freezing! Come with me!"

The girl pulled Tom by his hands and took after her parents.

"Mum! Dad! Wait!"

The parents finally noticed that the girl was not right behind them and stopped to look what kept her from following. If they were surprised by their daughter's sudden companion, their faces showed nothing.

"I am going to visit the new patisserie that opened across the street with my friend here. We haven't seen each other for so long and we _need_ to catch-up. I will be home before dark, alright?"

The girl was lying through her teeth, Tom was sure they have never met before.

 _Why is she lying?_ He thought. _And why in the bloody hell am I not protesting this... this charade?_

"Oh Hermione! I thought we knew all your friends! Who is this young gentleman here?" Said the girls - Hermione's - mother.

The girl stayed quiet for once, not knowing his name and being unable to come up with some random name fast enough. Tom, however, for some unknown reason saved the situation.

"My name's Tom Riddle. I haven't seen Hermione since before Christmas and couldn't give her a present. So I thought i would visit her today and wish her Happy New Year."

The parent's were smiling again, the father was taking out some money for his daughter and giving it to her.

"Have some hot chocolate, when you are there and we are expecting you back home by five, Hermione. It was nice meeting you, Tom."

 _Is this behaviour normal?_ Tom thought.

But the girl - Hermione - did not seemed surprised. She took the offered money, put it in a pocket of her black coat, bid her parents goodbye and again started pulling Tom away with her.

He chuckled unexpectedly. _She is really something else._

Hermione looked at him curiously, but said nothing. Just smiled pleasantly.

Together, they crossed the street and Hermione led him inside one of the shops there.

Tom was hit with a wave of warmth the moment they were inside. And they sit at an empty table next to a hearth.

"Wait here and try to get warm, I will buy you something to warm your stomach as well."

The girl turned and marched away again. Tom was watching her as she talked to an older woman behind the counter and waited for her order to be prepared.

She looked at him, probably making sure he didn't escape her, and smiled at him again.

Tom didn't remember someone's smile to be so sincere and he found himself smiling back at her.

The girl turned away again to take her purchased goods and slowly made her way back to him.

"Here you go! Have anything you want! But start with the drink so you can get warm sooner!"

The girl was being bossy again. And for some unknown reason Tom found himself obeying her.

He took a sip of the brown drink and for the first time in his life tasted hot chocolate.

He hummed in pleasure and even though he wanted this delicacy to last him longer, he was hungry and it tasted heavenly. Like everything sweet in life was just in this one cup.

He was so absorbed in his drink that he didn't notice the speculative way the girl's eyes were watching him.

After he drank it all he felt much better. He felt fuller and warmer than ever before.

And he was so out of his element that he found himself once again doing something unusual.

"Thank you for this. I have no idea why you did what you did, but I am grateful."

The girl only smiled at him again and replied.

"Do not mention it. You looked so cold that I feared you were one minute away from becoming an icicle...

My name is Hermione. Hermione Granger. It is a pleasure to meet you, Tom?"

She said his name as a question and he reassured her immediately.

"Yes, my name's Tom Riddle, I wasn't lying earlier with your parents about my name."

And that is how their unexpected friendship began.

They were talking for many hours. Tom has eaten everything on his platter and Hermione bought more. He really looked starved and it didn't sit well with her.

Tom felt warm and cosy and didn't want this day to end. But it was getting late and Hermione had to go home.

Tom accompanied her home and when she pointed at her house, he knew they had to part their ways. He wanted nothing more than to go with her, but knew it wasn't possible. Her parents would have something to say for sure. And he could never take her to his hellhole of an orphanage. She was too bright for such a place. Too warm.

He shivered just from the thought of leaving her warm presence and Hermione noticed.

"You are cold again. Here, have this! It will keep you warm, before you'll get home!"

And with those words, she took of her pink scarf and neatly put it around his neck.

Before he could protest about the colour, she patted the scarf at his chest and he could feel familiar hum of something only he could make. Well, at least he thought he was the only one who could do this.

He looked at her hands on the scarf and noticed that it changed colour. To dark green, same colour as the girl's gloves.

"I thought I was the only one." He whispered, in awe of this lovely extraordinary girl.

"So you can do magic too! Oh great! Than we will be studying at Hogwarts together, right? That is fantastic! I am so looking forward to September, Tom!"

Hermione was excited and Tom was once again staring at her.

 _Magic? Hogwarts? What is she talking about?_

"Oh Tom! Promise, you will visit me soon! We need to discuss this! I really must be going now, so my parents aren't worried! Please visit me soon, what about next Sunday? You will have time, right?"

Hermiome was speaking rapidly and Tom was still in shock, so he could only reply.

"Yes. Yes, of course I'll visit you."

Hermione laughed out loud and unexpectedly hugged Tom.

"See you on Sunday morning, Tom. I will be waiting here for you! Bye!"

And she trotted away from him, while Tom was still dazed.

Not knowing if it was because of the fact that there was someone with special abilities like his own or because of the girl's hug.

Deep in thought he headed to the orphanage, unwittingly fingering his one and only present the girl gifted him with.

When he finally arrived before the orphanage gates, there were two people waiting for him. Angry looking orphanage's overseer Mrs. Cole and unfamiliar middle-aged man with piercing blue eyes watching him behind half-moon glasses.

"Tom Riddle, where have you been?! You were not given any permission to leave! And you have a visitor here!" Mrs. Cole stated coldly and Tom was sure a punishment was inevitable.

The unfamiliar man spoke suddenly, probably sensing the animosity in overseer's voice.

"Hello Tom. I am professor Albus Dumbledore. And I am here to offer you a scholarship, now that you turned eleven. But let's discuss it inside, the weather is indeed peculiar today."

And with those words, Dumbledore disappeared inside.

Tom was overwhelmed. But the scarf smelled like her and he felt a little warmer just thinking about her.

 _Hermione. You may be my lucky charm._


	3. Different Meeting

**Why, you ask?**

 **Because She showed him love**

 **And because He understood it**

 **Chapter two**

Dumbledore's unexpected visit could have turned ugly.

Fortunately, it did not.

Tom didn't even led the man into his room. No, he was so full of questions that he could not keep himself contained long enough to get there.

So he sat down with the professor in the kitchen on the first floor that was unsurprisingly empty. No point of people going there if there was no food to cook.

"You are like me, Tom. You are a wizard," the professor said.

"Hogwarts is a school. School of magic, where we can teach you how to control your powers, Tom."

The professor explained how he would be picked up by one of the teachers from Hogwarts to go and buy some school supplies during summer holidays and than on the first of September he would board a train to Hogwarts.

Tom was soaking the information like a sponge. He knew his eyes were showing his hunger. Hunger for knowledge and something else the professor couldn't quite grasp yet.

All that hunger was circling around one name. _Hermione_.

She showed him kindness, she fed him, made sure he was warm. She cared for him and she was magical like him.

Tom has never had any friends. All of the orphans were afraid of him, because he hurt them when they tried to attack him. And he made sure it was always just one time warning. They called him a freak. A monster. An abomination. Those words hurt him too. He almost started to believe them.

But after all those long years he finally found someone special. She was good and brave and everything bright. And so very warm.

Her scarf was still around his neck. It smelt like her and he never wanted to take it of.

She wasn't just his first friend. She was _his_. Period.

"There is this girl, magical like me," Tom finally said to the older man.

"I met her earlier today, she said she was also going to Hogwarts for the first time... Could I... I mean... She is my friend and I would like to go with her."

Tom felt his cheeks were getting warmer. Was he blushing?! He never blushed in his entire life.

"Ah you must have met with Hermione Granger, right? She is the only other future first year living in London at the moment," Dumbledore speculated with a knowing spark in his eyes.

Tom felt quite uncomfortable and that was making him angry. She was his and he didn't want this man to think about her too much, he did not share his things and this personality trait now also applied to his people, well one specific person. She was his for as long as he was breathing.

Tom did not really understood what was happening to him. It was rare for him to feel anything beside sadness and anger. So he didn't recognized the warmth that has taken root inside his very soul. He only understood it was because of the girl. His Hermione.

Tom looked at the older man with a look of steel and in that moment Dumbledore knew.

He saw the determination in the boys eyes and the will to go against the world to keep the person he needed most.

 _Ah, to be young again._ Dumbledore thought. Reminiscing about his own loved ones.

"Well it's not really a standard procedure but I think I could make an arrangement for you two to be picked up together... If Miss Granger won't have any objections... And if you will be, from now on, on your best behavior! We do not want Mrs. Cole to worry about you, right? I shall leave now, Tom. Have a good day! "

And with a kind smile and swirl of his coat the man left Tom to his own devices.

On his way outside, Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle. _Oh, Tom. I've met Miss Granger already. She will keep you on your toes for sure._

Shortly after Dumbledore took his leave, Mrs. Cole stood true to her earlier words. Tom was to be punished.

They stopped with physical punishments when Tom was still very young. His magic manifested early and protected him against anyone who would wish to harm him. Without exception. Man, woman, adult or child. Tom's magic could not stay silent and let him bleed.

But they found other forms of punishments.

That day Mrs. Cole decided that Tom would be confined to his room for two weeks and was let out only for sporadic meals and to use a bathroom.

Two weeks... He would not be able to get to Hermione.

She will be waiting for him on Sunday and he won't be able to leave to meet her.

Will she feel hurt? Will she blame him? _Oh of course she will! I should have told her I am from the orphanage!_ Tom thought bitterly.

He knew she deserved to know, but there was not a good opportunity to tell her. Their chat earlier that day was so pleasant, Tom didn't want to ruin it with his misfortune.

 _And you didn't want her to think lesser of you._ His subconscious whispered.

Tom wanted to burn this hell hole done. But he knew he couldn't. Dumbledore would knew and he could forbid him from attending Hogwarts. His warning was not to be ignored.

No matter, his handprints were still burnt into the wooden desk. Branding it with his rage.


End file.
